El Vacío y la Esperenza
by Octanek
Summary: Iris Potter has died at a young age, but death is not the end for our young heroine, for another soul joins her, and where there was once emptiness, there is now hope. Fem!Harry.
1. Chapter 1: Descubrimiento

**El Vacío y la Esperenza**

**Chapter One: D****escubrimiento**

**Harry Potter is owned by J.K Rowling and Bleach by Tite Kubo**

* * *

"Potty Potty Potty!" taunted Dudley and his gang, Iris risked a quick glance behind her, they where still gaining.

Running into an alley Iris hoped to lose them in it's darkness. But was devastated to find that it ended with a brick wall, she was trapped!

"She's trapped, let's get her!" yelled Pierce Polkiss pointlessly, the "brains" of Dudley's little merry band of bullies.

They all rushed in and surrounded her before she could even contemplate running away, Dudley shoved her hard, and she felt herself fall backwards.

_Smash!_

She hit something, _hard_, something that broke under her weight, her breath was knocked out of her and she grunted in pain. Iris tried to stand back up but her body felt like it weighed a hundred tonnes.

"Fuck, she's really hurt, let's get out of here!" yelled someone she couldn't see, and she heard the patter of feet away from her, she was alone.

Looking around Iris finally saw what injured her, a jagged piece of glass was sticking out of her chest, edge facing outward and covered in blood, _"My blood." _thought Iris despondently.

She felt her eyes getting heavier, and she weakly attempted to pry the piece from her, but she couldn't even move her hands, realizing the futility of the situation she began to cry, two tears managed to make their way onto her cheeks before she closed her emerald eyes and nine year old Iris Potter knew no more.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Ulquiorra Cifer regarded the busty red haired girl attempting to catch is hand with dispassionate curiosity. When her fingers brushed his, he saw that they gave way and crumbled to dust, the rest of his arm quickly following.

"I... See." he managed to say, unsure if he was disappointed or not, he saw that tears where beginning to flow from her eyes, she looked... Sad? Yes that was the emotion he was looking for.

Turning his head away from her and towards his victorious opponent. Kurosaki Ichigo looked angry, and looked away when his gaze met his. Feeling the rest of his body rapidly disintegrating, the Quatro Espada was finally free.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Iris opened her eyes, and frowned. She felt... Different. Looking down she saw the reason for her death, and frowned again before realizing that the piece of glass was not there anymore, there was a gaping hole where her heart was, perfectly round and positioned where the glass struck.

Iris frowned for a third time, she was surprised that she was unaffected by this situation, she quickly stood up, her body suddenly receiving a burst of energy.

"_I remember dying, what the hell happened? Why am I still alive?" _she thought furiously. She began to examine the hole in her chest. _"My heart is gone, why am I still alive?" _her thoughts repeated. Another burst of energy hit her, and she doubled over in pain, she felt like her veins where on fire. The buildings around her began to rumble, it felt like an earthquake. Before she could ready herself another burst of energy slammed into her again, this time Iris collapsed from the pain, she couldn't take it any more, she began to scream, however what came out her mouth was not the high pitched shriek of a pre-teen girl but the roar of some terrifying monster, utterly inhuman.

"_What's happening to me!?" _Iris thought with panic.

The buildings around her began to collapse, the pavement beneath her began to crack around her, like thin ice, the cracks forming a circle around her and continuing to grow at a tremendous rate. Realizing that if she didn't get out of here soon she would be crushed, Iris began to run but blinked in surprise when she suddenly appeared in front of Number 4 Privet Drive, followed by a loud boom.

"_This is too bizarre, I felt myself run, but it was so fast I couldn't register it, I was in that alley one second, and now I'm here..." _Iris thought, confused beyond belief.

Covering her hole with Dudley's old denim jacket, which felt like a coat on her. Iris meekly began walking towards the front door, desperately hoping she could sneak into her cupboard without anyone noticing.

Opening the door Iris listened intently. She could hear the television blaring in the background, and the clang of plates in the kitchen, which meant that her Uncle and Dudley where watching TV and Aunt Petunia was cooking dinner.

"_Perfect, they won't even notice me."_ Iris thought with satisfaction. Slowly but surely, Iris began to sneak her way towards the cupboard.

Sighing with relief when she crawled her way inside and quickly closing the door, she crawled towards her "bed" which was no more than a pile of old sheets, covered in faded yellow marks from when Dudley wet the bed and a pillow which consisted of many of those sheets stuffed into a ball.

As she laid down Iris felt herself quickly fall asleep, exhausted from her apparent miraculous resurrection.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_Opening her eyes Iris regarded her surroundings, she was standing in a vast desert of grey sand, with strange skeletal crystal trees. A waxing crescent moon hung in the starless night sky._

"_This is Hueco Mundo." Came a male voice to her right, turning to face him, Iris regarded the strange man._

_He was of average hight, his skin paper white. He was wearing strange white robes that reminded Iris of something she saw on TV when she caught an excerpt of a documentary on Samurai. His feet where covered in blacks socks and white sandals. What looked like a katana hung from it's scabbard which was attached to his left hip, held there by a green sash. His hands where resting in his pockets._

_Looking up Iris saw that his robe was opened and he had a hole in his chest, the exact same position as hers. He wore a strange helmet that only covered the right side of his head, it looked to be made out of bone and was ridged, ending in a single horn. Lank black hair feel around his neck, a single tuft sticking in the middle of his forehead. His face wore no emotion, and two green lines flew down his face from his brilliant emerald eyes, looking like tears._

"_Who are you?" Iris asked._

"_Mine name is... Or was, Ulquiorra Cifer." He looked confused for a second, but was back to his emotionless state quicker than she could blink._

"_It appears I am inside your mind, would you mind telling me how I came to be here?" asked Ulquiorra, his emerald eyes boring into hers with cold intensity. _

"_I... I don't know, I-I died recently, m-maybe that's why?" stammered Iris, she moved her arms around her, and felt her jacket slip off her thin shoulders, it fell onto the sand with a soft thud. Ulquiorra's eyes widened when he saw the whole on her chest._

"_I see... You appear to have a Hollow hole, but you are still human, and most importantly still alive, how?" he asked._

_He paused for a moment and closed his eyes. Opening again he regarded her with open curiosity._

"_I can sense power on you girl, my power and... Something else, something I have never felt before." He half whispered, more to himself than to her._

"_You said you _where_ Ulquiorra Cifer, d-does that mean you died too? And what's a Hollow?" Iris asked timidly after a few seconds of silence. _

_He closed his eyes again, and turned his head to face away from her._

"_Yes, though I was technically already dead and I died a second time. A Hollow is a soul that is transformed into a monster after death, and constantly hungers for other souls. They vary in appearance but they all have a hole replacing their heart..." He pointed to his hole, "And a mask." He finished, resting a hand on the strange bone helmet of his for a second._

_Taking a wary step away from him, Iris began to regard the man occupying her mind a little fearfully._

"_Where I still alive would be right to fear me child, but since I am powerless inside your mind, I cannot do anything to you, even if I wanted to." he explained calmly._

"_Oh..." Iris muttered stupidly. A thousand questions where raging inside her mind, Iris picked one to ask._

"_After I woke up from my... Death, the buildings around me began to shake, like an earthquake, and then I moved so fast that I didn't even notice I ran a mile in the blink of an eye, how?" she asked, the question escaped her lips like a flood released from a damn._

"_That was your Reiatsu, or Spirit Energy, which you seemed to have acquired from me, you would have to be careful and learn to control it, lest you rip apart any more buildings around you. And you ran so fast because of Sonído, a technique known by powerful Hollows which allows them to travel at extreme speeds." He explained, turning to face her again._

"_Cool!" Iris exclaimed. "I can finally outrun my Cousin!"_

_The strange man raised an eyebrow, the question was evident in the air._

"_T-that's how I d-died..." stammered Iris. "Dudley and his gang cornered me in an alley and Dudley pushed me onto some glass." she finished, her voice so quiet he had to strain his ears to hear her._

"_I see." He eventually said, his eyes looked considerably softer. _

"_Do you wish revenge?" He asked. The question completely surprised her, she blinked a few times trying to digest it._

"_Um... No, not really, I mean he didn't mean to kill me, it was an accident so..." she rambled, avoiding his eyes._

"_You are a most curious girl, everyone else would have rushed off to kill him, it's what all Hollows do after their conversion, they seek out those closest to them in life and kill them, it is like an obsession to them." He said, his voice monotone._

"_Maybe I didn't because I'm still alive and not a full Hollow?" she looked at him again, and noticed something. "Wait, you said all Hollows had a mask, where is yours?" she accused, pointing a finger at him._

_He looked pensive for a moment, as if deciding whether to tell her or not._

"_I used to have one, but it broke when I became an Arrancar, a Hollow/Shinigami hybrid." He explained before she could ask._

"_Shinigami?" She asked instead._

"_Death Gods or Soul Reapers, they are the ones who protect souls from Hollows, and help human souls to enter Soul Society, which is what you might call Heaven."_

_He waved a arm around himself._

"_This is a representation of Hueco Mundo, where Hollows reside, it is a realm, like Soul Society, but for lost souls."_

_"So... It's Hell?" asked Iris, trying to understand the strange worlds of the dead._

"_No, Hueco Mundo is more like Purgatory. Hell is something completely different."_

"_So what's the difference between Hollows and Arrancar?" she asked, burning with curiosity._

"_They-" he began to explain, but a sudden rumble jarred him from his thoughts. He looked around, and finally at her._

"_It seems you are waking up girl, I feel myself fading, so this might be the last we speak, know this girl, you carry a power far beyond mortal comprehension, use it wisely." He stated cryptically. _

_Before Iris could ask him to elaborate she saw the would around them getting darker and darker, and felt herself starting to fall._

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Iris opened her eyes, and then closed them again when she felt a monster of a headache starting. She was back in her cupboard, her strange dream still fresh in her mind. The headache worsened and Iris began to moan in pain, it felt like something was trying to cram itself inside her head.

After what felt like an agonizing eternity, the pain eventually subsided. Iris blinked as new information began rushing into her brain, an entire lifetime's worth of them.

"I see." she eventually said in a monotone voice. A beam of light shone through the crack of the cupboard door, revealing two green tear like stains on her paper white cheeks.

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**Thanks for reading!**

**This is a companion piece of sorts to my other story "Iris Potter and the Soul Enigma.", where that one focuses on Iris in Soul Society this one will focus on an Iris/Ulquiorra hybrid going to Hogwarts.**

**I will be updating both stories ****regularly, this idea was not something I could pass up, and I have a solid idea where both stories will go.**

**BTW I'm stealing the idea for Spanish chapter titles from the amazing story "Amenaza" by Alban55. :P**


	2. Chapter 2: La Carta

**Chapter 2: La Carta**

**Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and Bleach by Tite Kubo.**

* * *

_One year later._

Iris sat on the roof of Number 4 Privet Drive and surveyed the neighbourhood around her. It was early morning, and the sun is yet to greet the day, birds are singing on trees, all in all, it was rather peaceful.

If one where to observe our young heroine you would see that she has changed dramatically since her brush with death. She now stands slightly taller than she would have been, her bones being regenerated and growing at a normal rate now. She no longer wore her glasses and her hair, while still an untameable mess, is now more straighter and falls into a similar pattern as her previous life.

"_Thankfully my skin is pale, but not unhealthily so like Ulquiorra's was." _Spending days outside in the sun weeding the garden has done wonders for her complexion.

After Ulquiorra's memories joined hers Iris deduced that he was her previous life and that her premature death coupled with that mysterious power of hers, resulted in a merging of sorts, she gaining is memories and power the result.

Thankfully her personality hadn't changed much, not that she noticed at least, she still felt like her old self, if a little more wise and jaded.

"_Could have been worse, I could have stayed an emotionless robot." _Iris shivered at the thought.

The sun finally crept over the horizon, illuminating her face. Iris chuckled to herself as she remembered her "families" reaction. Aunt Petunia had shrieked herself to high heaven, and furiously tried to scrub the "stains" off her cheeks, but to no avail. Fortunately, Dudley seemed to give her a wide berth from that day on, which was good. Fortunately for her, she managed to throw away her blood stained dress.

Iris was glad that a hole in the chest is easy to hide, if she gained his old mask as well, then that would have been harder. But what frustrated Iris more is that she could not call the power of Murciélago to her side, she could feel it, but it was locked away by the other power, one that she had no idea what it did or how to control it. She remembered strange events which she contributed to that power, keeping her hair long after Aunt Petunia gave her a horrible bowl cut the night before, teleporting on the school roof, levitating one of Dudley's toys towards her during an early Christmas.

"_But HOW do I control it?" _Iris kept repeating this question, and every time she asked herself she felt no closer to coming to an answer, it was maddening to her.

The flapping of wings brought her out of her reverie, and she glanced towards the noise and blinked in confusion.

A rather windswept looking Barn Owl was making it's way towards her, a letter of all things clutched in it's talons. The owl swooped over her head, depositing the letter on her lap before he settled on a nearby tree, and began to stare at her intently, as if waiting for a reply.

"_Yeah right!" _Scoffed Iris.

She picked up the letter and started to examine it, it appeared to be made out of yellowing parchment instead of paper, and had a red wax seal that showed a crest which depicted a lion, snake, eagle and badger.

Turning it around Iris saw what was written, in jade ink:

**Ms. Iris Potter**

**The Roof**

**Number 4, Privet Drive**

**Little Winging**

**Surrey**

Iris felt a chill run down her spine.

"_Are they watching me?!" _Panicked thoughts rushed through her head for a few seconds before she forced herself to calm down. Taking a deep breath Iris closed her eyes and opened her Pesquisa to sense her surroundings.

"_Hmmm, I sense nobody around with any sort of power, except for those strange cats of Mrs. Figg's, and... That owl."_

Iris opened her eyes and regarded the owl with renewed interest, she felt a small sliver of _something_ on the owl, a power similar to hers. She had experimented with the cats before, asking them questions and following them around, but aside from their strange power, they seemed like perfectly ordinary cats, but Iris wasn't fooled, there was _something _about them that made them special, like the owl.

Glancing around herself to make sure, Iris shrugged her shoulders and brought her attention back to the strange letter. Carefully slicing the wax seal with a fingernail, her Hierro making them as sharp and sturdy as any steel blade. Unfolding the contents out, Iris began to read.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDY**

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

**(_Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_**

**_Supreme Mugwump, Internation Confed. of Wizards_)**

**Dear Ms. Potter**

**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

**Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.**

**Yours sincerely, **

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy Headmistress**

Unfolding the other half, Iris read the most bizarre list of equipment she could imagine.

"_Dragon hide? Wand? Pewter cauldrons... Are they serious?" _

Iris was about to rip apart the letter, parchment or not. But paused, on the off chance that it wasn't a joke.

"_Maybe that mysterious power of mine _IS _magic, it would explain quite a bit, but Ulquiorra has never encountered magic, aside from Shinigami Kidou, very odd..."_

Looking at the owl again, Iris decided to risk it.

"Wait here while I get something to write a reply with." She told the owl. To her immense surprise, the owl nodded his head slightly.

Taking a deep breath, Iris leapt off the roof and landed gracefully on the grass below, nodding to herself in satisfaction, Iris proceeded inside the house through the garden door, that lead into the kitchen.

Carefully, lest she wake her jailers, Iris crept towards the desk in the living room Vernon used to do his work. Picking up a sheet of paper and a pen, Iris began to write;

**Dear Deputy Headmistress**

**Thank you for accepting me into your school.**

**May I be so bold as to request a representative to come and explain this magic? I remain sceptical.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Iris Potter**

Folding the note, Iris slipped it into an empty envelope which she sealed by licking the edge.

"_Much better than using wax all the time!" _Iris thought.

Sneaking back outside, Iris handed the letter to the owl.

"Bring this to Minerva McGonagall please." She told him, the owl nodded again before taking off, the letter clutched in his claws.

"_Now all that's left to do is wait." _Iris grinned in anticipation, her jailers would be in for quite a surprise.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

A few days passed, and Iris was beginning to wonder if it was all a joke, but the highly trained owl seemed a bit too much, and her senses weren't wrong, there was something special about the owl, aside from his training.

As she was busy preparing breakfast one morning, there came a sharp rapping at the front door. Vernon looked up from his paper.

"Get the door Dudley." He ordered before going back to reading.

"Make Potter get it!" Dudley retorted with a mouth full of sausages, Iris shivered at the sight.

"Get the door girl!" Vernon grunted from beneath the paper.

"Yes Uncle Vernon." She replied sweetly, rolling her eyes when they couldn't see.

Iris carefully placed the frying pan back onto the hob and proceeded to make her way towards the front door. Opening the door Iris was greeted to a strange sight.

Before her stood a tall and imposing man, dressed from neck to toe in billowing black robes with a high collar, he had a large hooked nose, pale and pallid skin, greasy black hair and coal black eyes that where regarding her with intensity.

"Ms. Potter?" He asked, he seemed surprised at seeing her, not that she could blame him, she got that reaction a lot whenever she was seen in public, which was why the Dursley's never let her outside for more than gardening.

"Yes this is she, may I ask who I am speaking to?" If he was surprised by her formal tone, he didn't show it this time, he merely nodded.

"My name is Professor Severus Snape, and I represent Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I was informed that you requested a demonstration of magic?" His voice was cold and demanding, Iris could tell that he was used to total obedience from his students.

"Oh, please come in Professor, I was in the process of making breakfast when you came by, would you care for some?" She asked out of politeness, but she knew that he would refuse.

"No thank you, I won't remain longer than I need to." He replied, eyeing the house with disdain as he stepped over the threshold.

"This way please." Iris beckoned, leading him towards the living room.

As they passed the kitchen, Iris heard a shriek followed by "You!" from Aunt Petunia.

"_Interesting, I didn't expect her to know him, perhaps they knew about this whole magic business to begin with..." _Iris thought.

The Hogwarts Professor paused and turned to regard her Aunt with even more disdain, his lips curving into a menacing sneer.

"Yes me, though hardly surprising I should think, you knew this day would come." He all but snarled at her.

Petunia turned her hateful gaze onto Iris and her eyes widened with recognition.

"You!" She shrieked again, pointing her bony finger at Iris.

"You got your letter didn't you?! You little brat." She spat.

"Yes, although I assumed it was a joke, I'm surprised though that you knew about it, I hid it quite well." Iris replied calmly.

"You mean you never told her?" Snape asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Of course not! We wanted to stamp out this freakishness out of her, but no, she had to go the same way as my dratted sister, even looks like a freak, completes the picture." She responded hatefully.

By this time Vernon and Dudley had waddled in, Vernon looking angry, his face reaching a level or purple Iris had yet to see. And Dudley was cowering behind a couch, his fat head peeking out occasionally.

Snape looked taken aback by her vitriol, he turned to look at Iris, his sharp eyes scanning any visible parts of her body, no doubt looking for bruises. Fortunately for Iris, her Hierro prevented said bruises to form, as well as give Vernon a nasty surprise when he smacked her on the head a few months ago, and then proceeded to howl in pain, to him, it felt like hitting a steel wall.

"You requested a demonstration of magic?" He asked, then smiled, which looked particularly sinister on his face.

Spinning around sharply, a long wooden black stick appeared in his hand, he pointed the stick at Dudley, and a bolt of pale purple light shot out of the stick at a great speed, there was a crash, followed by frantic squealing, where there was once Dudley, there was now a large pink pig.

Iris couldn't help herself, she burst out into peals of laughter, clutching the frame of the door she was standing besides for support.

Petunia screamed and Vernon roared, he attempted to tackle Snape but he was quicker, in a flash Vernon's arms and legs snapped together, his whole body stiffening, and he fell over backwards, like a plank of wood.

Pointing his wand, for that is what it surely was at Petunia, he repeated the same spell he used on Vernon and her screaming stopped in an instant, the only sounds being herd now where Iris' laughter and Dudley's squealing.

Snape glided into the living room, his cloak billowing behind him, he crouched down above Vernon, pointing his wand at him again, "Legilimens." he intoned.

Iris wasn't sure what that spell did, for both Snape and Vernon where perfectly still for several seconds before Snape seemed to snap out of whatever trance he put himself under, he shook his head several times and turned to look at Iris, who by now had stopped laughing and was watching Snape with great interest.

"Go and grab your coat, we're leaving." He ordered, his voice barley above a whisper, Iris could see great rage in his black eyes, nodding her head Iris headed towards her cupboard.

She heard him repeat his previous spell, no doubt on Petunia, but she paid it no mind as she grabbed her "coat" which was still Dudley's old denim jacket, now more faded and ripped than previously.

"_I really need to get new clothes." _She thought with distaste, all of her clothes came from charity shops, all garishly ugly dresses with floral patterns and pastel colours, Iris was surprised Petunia even spent that much on her, she was sure, that if she were a boy, _all_ of her clothes would be Dudley's hand-me-downs, she shivered at the thought.

As she re-emerged from her cupboard, she saw Snape standing just outside, his posture stiff, Iris could tell he was struggling to hold in his rage, which surprised her slightly, why would he be so mad all of a sudden, what exactly _was_ that "Legillimens" spell he used?

"We are leaving." He said simply and without further pause, he proceeded to make his was towards the front door, Iris quickly following.

"Where are we going sir?" Asked Iris after they left Number 4. Snape paused and looked back at her, his expression unreadable.

"To Diagon Alley, I was tasked with accompanying you to gather your school supplies." He stated, he extended his left arm towards her.

"Grab my arm and hold tight." He instructed. Iris raised an eyebrow at the odd request but complied, grabbing it and holding tight.

Suddenly, Iris felt some force grab her roughly by the navel and proceed to spin her around in some great cyclone, she could barely make out colours and blurred shapes before the sensation suddenly stopped and she slammed onto the ground roughly, barley maintaining her balance.

Taking a deep breath to avoid throwing up, Iris opened her eyes and gasped.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

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**Thanks for reading! **

**Review questions:**

**ShiroHollow96: I'm not sure about pairings yet, Iris would need someone with a heart big enough for both of them, and there aren't that many selfless souls in the HP universe, well... There is one. ;)**

**To everyone else who reviewed, favorited and followed this story, a big thanks to you all! Your support means a lot! :D**


	3. Chapter 3: El Durmiente ha Despertado

**Chapter 3: ****El Durmiente ha Despertado**

**Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and Bleach by Tite Kubo.**

* * *

Ulquiorra and subsequently Iris had seen some fascinating and interesting sights one could ever imagine, and yet Iris was speechless with awe and what she was seeing.

She was standing in what looked like a street straight out of a Victorian painting, complete with cobbled streets and tightly packed shops, but that was where the similarities ended. Instead of plain wooden signs the ones adorning the shops where animated! Iris could see a witch in a pointy had brewing a cauldron, wooden bubbles where rising out and bursting into nothingness. Another sign had a sleek looking broom chasing a small golden sphere with wings, the sphere would dart across the street and the broom would follow. A grand owl sat atop one shop, it's great yellow eyes seemed to follow you as you moved and it would occasionally give out cry that startled unsuspecting shoppers.

The shoppers themselves where interesting to Iris, she could see that they all wore robes of some kind or another, some with bright colours and patterns that made one question if the wearer was colour-blind, others wore more muted tones, and some chose to dress in all black like Mr. Snape, who was keeping a brisk pace in front of her, Iris thanked her enhanced senses otherwise she would have missed half of what she had seen.

As they passed the shops Iris would peek in through the windows at the contents. Some sold seemingly mundane items such as books and clothes, but others sold more fantastical wares, half of which Iris had no clue as to their function, she reassured herself that her ignorance would not last once she purchased a few books on Wizarding culture.

Eventually the silent shadow of Snape stopped in front of a grand white building which loomed over the rest of the alley, it was Greco-Roman in design with a slanted roof and large marble columns. Snape turned and bent over so that he was inches away from Iris's face.

"Listen to me very carefully." He began, his tone was sharp and his eyes intense, Iris quickly surmised that he was about to tell her something very important and tried not to notice his breath that smelled like disinfectant.

"We are about to enter the Wizarding bank known as Gringotts, which is run by a race of creatures known as Goblins." He continued, Iris was listening with rapt attention now.

"Goblins are not like humans, they do no abide pointless chatter and timewasting, they appreciate bluntness and haste, so do not attempt to engage one in meaningless conversation and speak only when spoken to, look them straight in the eye when one addresses you and try not to fidget, understood?" He asked her intently.

"Yes." Iris replied seriously. Snape seemed to judge her sincerity before he nodded and straightened himself.

"Good, we shall go in to withdraw money from your vaults, after which we shall continue with purchasing your school supplies, stay close to me when we are inside the bank at all times!" He barked, and without any further ado spun around and glided into the bank, Iris quickly followed, whist noticing the rather sinister poem inscribed onto the door.

"_Gringotts doesn't seem to like thieves." _Iris thought with a chuckle.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Whilst the atmosphere outside was cheerful and carefree, inside the bank felt like a mausoleum, stone faced short creatures with grey skin, long tapered ears and sharp pointy teeth with long crooked noses and beady eyes where busy dealing with customers, inspecting jewels and precious metals, whilst others perused stacks of papers, Iris noticed that none of the humans spoke louder than a whisper.

"_It's impressive that the Goblins have managed to cow a race of humans who could manipulate reality in a whim into submission, it is logical to deduce that they have some kind of safeguard against magic." _Iris reasoned as she followed Snape towards a free till.

"State your business wizard." A Goblin who was burlier and somewhat uglier than his contemporaries addressed them in a bored voice, Iris could feel intense dislike and disgust wafting off him, it seemed he was not trying to hide his feelings, unlike Snape.

"Yes, Ms. Iris Potter here wishes to make a withdrawal from her vault, here is the key."

Snape drawled out his reply with a practised ease as he handed the Goblin a small golden key. The Goblin leaned down and regarded Iris intently, his eyes lingered on her forehead, he frowned.

"Ms. Potter would need to provide us with some of her blood for verification."

Replied the Goblin as he held the key over a small transparent stone on his desk. The stone glowed a bright blue after a few seconds and the Goblin nodded to himself.

"Hold out your hand Ms. Potter." Snape instructed, not taking his eyes off the Goblin.

Iris did as told and stretched her hand over the counter, and brought down the _Hierro_ over the appendage, to allow the blade to pierce her flesh.

The Goblin brought out a wicked looking knife, a good 6 inches long with an edge clearly sharpened to perfection, in one quick motion he brought the knife down on her palm and produced a thin cut that quickly started bleeding. Wasting no time the Goblin brought the transparent stone and held it below the blood flow, after a few drops had landed the stone started to hiss and smoke could be seen flowing out. Eventually the stone glowed a bright red and the hissing stopped, the Goblin nodded once again and put the stone down.

The cut on Iris' palm healed almost instantly, and not by her doing.

"_It seems the blade has a spell that heals cuts after use." _Surmised Iris. The Goblin handed Snape the key back.

"Very well, everything is in order." He barked, and picked up a small bell and rang it, after a few seconds a Goblin ran towards them, dressed like the rest in a well tailored black suit with a white cravat.

"This is Griphook, he will lead you to your vault Ms. Potter." The Goblin behind the counter spoke, and without any further acknowledgement went back to perusing some documents.

"Follow me please." Ordered Griphook and promptly turned around and started walking towards a large opening at the back of the vault, Snape and Iris quickly followed.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The Goblin lead them down several flights of steep stone stairs and eventually into a large gaping natural cavern with a mine track and cart, the Goblin leapt into the cart with ease and beckoned them to join him.

Snape awkwardly got in, no doubt unused to travelling in such a confined space, Iris got in after him, Griphook pulled a lever and the cart shot off like a rocket and a ridiculous speed, Iris guessed that some sort of magic was keeping the occupants from falling out. The ride was long despite this and at one point Iris clearly saw an enormous albino dragon breathing fire on the way.

"_They must use it to guard the vaults." _Iris surmised.

Eventually the cart stopped and the group got out, Griphook lead them towards a large stone door with no visible handle yet a small keyhole could be seen in the middle.

"Key please." Griphook requested.

Snape quickly handed him they key and Iris was beginning to wonder if she had any say at all in who accessed her vaults when the Goblin took the key and placed it within the keyhole and twisted it counter clockwise, and with a sharp _click _the vault door began to disintegrate as if it was ice melting in a furnace, soon all that was left was a gaping archway that lead to a room holding what looked like a mountain of gold, silver and bronze coins.

Once again Iris was speechless, the sheer amount of wealth on display was ridiculous.

"_It seems the Potters where a wealthy family, and by the looks of things, powerful too." _Iris thought cheerfully as she approached the mountain of coins. Griphook cleared his throat and Iris turned to give her attention.

"As per regulations I am to give you a standard Gringotts coin pouch, enchanted to hold over ten thousand individual coins without any noticeable weight difference, as well as the finest anti-thief curses Gringotts has to offer of course." He droned with an air of practised repetition and fished out a small bag and handed it to her.

Iris took it and thanked him graciously, and not wasting further time began to fill the pouch with as many coins as she felt necessary, by the end the pile was noticeably smaller but the bag gave the impression that not much was in it. Nodding in satisfaction Iris closed the pouch and carefully attached it around her waist, noticing that the string on the pouch seemed to tie itself.

Griphook, saw that she was done nodded and began to head out of the vault, Iris followed. Snape was still standing there with an air of immense frustration.

"You are done? Good, then let us be off." He instructed, Iris smirked when his back was turned.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

After leaving the bank and stepping into bright sunlight, Iris gently reminded Snape that the key to her vault was hers and that he should hand it over, he gave her a deeply suspicious look before nodding reluctantly and producing the key, Iris took it with a gentle smile, which seemed to unnerve Snape more than reassure him.

"Now that you have money, we shall proceed to procure your school supplies, and I should not have to remind you to be mindful of how much you spend, the gold in your vault is meant to last until you reach your majority at seventeen." Snape growled as they began walking down towards the nearest shop, which happened to be a clothing store by the name of "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions".

The door opened with a small bell signalling the owner that customers had entered. Iris saw that the store was modest in size with the smell of fabrics and dye hanging in the air, racks of bolts of cloth stood on one side, while the other held display mannequins showing off the latest fashions, which bowed and curtsied to them as they entered.

A plump witch with rosy cheeks and a carefree smile emerged behind a curtain and paused, her smile faltering when she saw Snape, who was looming in the corner with a sneer.

"Greetings Professor Snape, I trust the day greets you well?" Asked the woman in a simpering, polite voice.

"Well enough Madam Malkin, I am here escorting Mrs. Potter as we purchase her school supplies." He answered with clipped tones, Madam Malkin nodding along and smiling until she head 'Mrs. Potter' and instantly her eyes widened and she spun around to regard Iris.

"Oh wonderful! The girl-who-lived buying her first school uniform, how exiting!" She gushed, looking over Iris like one would a rack of lamb at the butchers.

"Follow me dear, I shall get you fitted in a jiffy." She continued and turned around to walk back the way she came, with a shrug Iris began to follow.

"Meet me at the apothecary once you are finished, the name is 'Slug and Jiggers', don't take too long." Snape instructed, Iris nodded and stepped through the curtains.

The room behind the curtains was cosy and simple, with a small podium in the middle and surrounded by more bolts of cloth and robes on display. Iris saw a girl who looked to be her age getting measured by tape measures that floated about unaided around her. The girl had large bushy brown hair, and warm brown eyes, she smiled when she saw them enter.

"Just stand there next to her, that's it dear, I'll just start by getting your measurements, hold still now." Instructed Madam Malkin as she lead Iris onto the podium and next to the other girl, another tape measure came to life and started to zip around Iris like a fly.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger." The girl next to Iris introduced herself politely.

"Iris Potter, pleased to meet you." Replied Iris with a smile of her own.

The girl nodded her eyes lingering on the floating tape measure.

"Are you new here too?" Iris asked.

The girl looked surprised and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Y...Yeah, how did you know?" She asked in a timid voice.

"Don't worry Hermione, I'm new too, I recognized that look of wonder on your face, I've had one since I came here!" Iris laughed awkwardly.

"_Seems Ulquiorra and I share our introversion." _Surmised Iris, who was not sure how she felt about it.

"Really? That's wonderful! I wasn't sure if I was the only one you see, I'm ever so exited to learn about magic, ever since Professor McGonagall came to my house it's been one surprise after the other, especially for my parents you know, well my mum kind of suspected _something _but now we know right?" Hermione rambled, the words flowing out of her mouth faster and faster.

Iris blinked, her brain furiously working to process Hermione's verbal flood, Iris smiled at her.

"Did you come with your parents? Mine are at the bookstore, they said I could only go after I've had my uniform done." Hermione looked rather put off by this and Iris guessed that she was quite the bookworm.

"No, I came with Professor Snape, one of the teachers at Hogwarts."

"Oh... Are..." Hermione coughed and looked away, her cheeks burning with embarassment.

"What?" Prodded Iris, who was curious.

"Nothing, it's rude." Hermione replied timidly, her posture defensive.

"It's OK, I know what you where going to ask, and yes, I am an orphan, my parents died when I was still a baby." Iris tried to sound carefree and reassuring, but instead Hermione looked even more drawn in, and her eyes where heavy with sympathy.

Iris opened her mouth to try and salvage the situation when Madam Malkin's husky voice startled them both.

"All done deary, here you go." She simmered, handing Hermione a hefty looking package wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string.

"That would be 5 Galleons please." Her tone betraying her impatience.

"_Obviously she thinks I'm a more important client." _Iris observed with a frown.

Hermione placed 5 gold coins onto the woman's outstretched and sweaty palm.

"Thank you dear, please come back when you grow a bit, we're also having a sale on dress robes, get them before Halloween!" she all but yelled out, as Hermione quickly rushed to the door and outside.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Madam Malkin pivoted round and captured Iris with her hungry gaze, a smile forming on her face.

"Now, let's see what I can do for you."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Iris was glad the process of creating clothes went quicker when one had magic, and after her school uniform was complete, Iris requested a few dresses for casual wear, when asked which colours she would prefer, "White, with a black trim." Was Iris' prompt answer.

The package Iris received was significantly smaller and easily fitted into one of the pockets of her jacket, again Iris deduced that Malkin either forgot or chose not to apply the enchantment to Hermione's package.

"_Why though?" _was the question Iris wanted answered, she decided to ask Snape when she found him.

Finding Snape was not difficult, he stood out even in the dark and smelly confines of the apothecary, she approached him and he gave her a sharp nod to acknowledge her presence.

"All done? Good, now approach the counter and ask for a Hogwarts package, year one."

Iris nodded and did as instructed, the man behind the counter reacted as much as Malkin did, calling her 'The girl-who-lived' again.

As they where leaving the store Iris finally spoke up.

"Professor, why does everyone stare at me and call me 'The girl-who-lived'?"

Snape paused mid stride, and Iris almost bumped into him had her superior reflexes not saved her in time.

"Damn those Dursley's..." She heard him mutter, in a volume he assumed she wouldn't hear.

He cleared his throat and turned towards her, he looked uncomfortable.

"Contrary to what the Dursley's told you, your parents did not die in a car crash, as if such a thing could kill us... No your parents where murdered." He spoke softly, but with intensity and Iris caught his every word and dared not breath less she missed something important.

"Murdered by whom? And how did you know what the Dursley's told me?" Iris asked, starting to get worried.

"We do not speak his name, but I shall tell you because you deserve to know, his name is Voldemort. And I know because I saw it in their thoughts." He replied.

_Voldemort. _The name brought a slight chill to her spine, French for "flight from death, a rather pretentious name she thought, but this man murdered her parents, she didn't care what he was called, he was the reason for her suffering.

"And the reason why the masses adore you, not that I share in their sentiment." He paused for a second, Iris rolled her eyes, he gave her a glare in return.

"The reason is because you survived the killing curse, a curse which cannot be stopped, blocked or countered, it is, or was impossible to survive if hit. You proved otherwise." He finished.

"_So I survived an instant death attack, sounds like something Ichigo would do..." _Iris reminisced fondly.

"Is Voldemort still alive?" She asked after a few seconds of deep thought.

"No, he died the same night your fame was born, congratulations." He replied sarcastically, but Iris saw something in his eyes that convinced her he was lying.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The rest of her incursion into Wizarding Britain provided her with more supplies, Iris would have enjoyed it more except Snape always kept a brisk pace and they never stayed at any one shop longer than it took to pick out what she needed and pay for them.

As they left the trunk shop, Iris now being the proud owner of a large wooden trunk, charmed to hold everything she needed with room to spare for the fridge and kitchen sink.

The day was almost at an end, and the sun was beginning to sink behind the buildings around them.

"According to the list, I just require a wand." Iris contributed, mentally going over what they had currently purchased.

"Yes, which is why I saved this stop for our last, finding the right wand can take a long time." He agreed.

They neared a shop that from the outside looked quite ordinary, but Iris could sense great power within, it seemed all the ambient magic was being drawn towards it, like a nexus.

Olivanders the name was, and as soon as they entered, Snape walked past her and sat in one of the rickety looking wooden chairs held at the corner, something which surprised Iris since this was the first time she saw him even remotely relaxed, his posture always stiff and his demeanour serious.

Iris would have jumped had she not sensed a man approach from a dark corner behind the counter, smiling instead in greeting.

If Olivander was disappointed by her lack of reaction he didn't show it, instead he moved further into the light and Iris got a better look at him.

He was quite tall, with a thin frame and long spindly legs and arms. He was dressed in beige coloured robes in a modest design. Looking at his face Iris saw that he was old, with pale grey eyes that at a glance made him look blind but Iris saw the recognition within them when they fell upon her.

"Iris Potter." He spoke in a soft voice that carried throughout the shop.

"It seemed only yesterday when your mother and father where here buying their first wands, and now here you are, how wonderful to meet you at last my dear." He returned her smile, his face crinkling, Iris noticed he seemed to ignore Snape entirely.

"Now, hold out your wand arm..." Iris guessed it was her dominant arm and held out her right.

"Yes yes, good, now hold still please." Tape measured similar to the ones Malkin used began to fly around her, measuring everything including arms, legs, hands, ears and fingernails.

When the measurements where done, Olivander scribbled something down with a quill, nodding to himself, he finally turned around and picked up a few long wooden boxes, carefully opening them and gingerly taking out the wands inside, he handed one to her.

"Now, just give it a flick." He instructed.

Iris nodded and took the wand, immediately she felt something was wrong, and that was proven as soon as she flicked the wand which produced a great big bang with the result being almost half the wand now being nothing more than splinters.

Iris was panicking now, realizing that she just destroyed a valuable piece of property and that Olivander would probably demand she leave.

To her great surprised Olivander started grinning like a loon and even cackled, even Snape was regarding them with great interest now.

"Fantastic! Fantastic! Oho, my dear you are very special, only those with incredible magical potential have ever managed to destroy an unfit wand, Dumbledore was the last, he was as surprised as you let me tell you, even promised to pay for any damages!" His eyes where far away, no doubt remembering times gone by.

"No matter, these things happen, we'll just have to be more careful, what did you feel when you held that wand?" He asked suddenly, his ramble interrupted.

"Er... Just a feeling of 'wrongness' I can't explain it further." Iris replied, cheeks still red with embarrassment.

"Good, that should make it easier, when I give you a wand, just touch it and if you feel that wrongness, let me know." Iris nodded and Olivander gave her another wand.

After several hours had passed, Iris was beginning to think that no wand would be suited to her, but Olivander was growing more and more exited with each failure, until finally he came to rest on a particular shelf, his expression suddenly pensive, he took the box out, and began to blow several layers of dust off of it.

"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

After taking the wand from his slightly shaking hands, Iris felt that this one was right, and immediate warmth spread over her and Iris gave the wand a flick, the result being not an explosion but a burst of bright green sparks, that lit up the dim shop and brought a huge smile to her face.

"Curious, most curious..." mumbled Olivander.

Iris forced herself to calm down and met his unsure gaze.

"Sorry but... What's curious?" She asked.

"I remember every wand I sell, every one. And it just so happens that the phoenix who's feather resides within that wand, gave another feather, just one other. It is curious Ms. Potter, that you should be destined for this wand, when it's brother. Gave you that scar."

The shop was as quiet as a tomb, the atmosphere tense.

"You will be destined for great things Ms. Potter, after all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things, _terrible_, yes... But great."

Iris nodded dumbly, her mind far elsewhere.

After paying for the wand, Snape lead her out, and Iris noticed that he seemed much more tense than usual.

Iris was too preoccupied to care though, her mind was focused on one thing. She noticed something else when she took her wand for the first time, almost clouded by the sheer joy she felt over finding it, but she noticed it regardless, something stirring from its slumber. Murciélago, her Soul Cutter.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**This chapter was a pain to write, since I tried to cram as much in without making it boring, I hope I succeeded!**

**Also, apologies for the long delay in updates, I'm was dealing with some family issues, but I should be back on a regular schedule now! :)**


	4. Chapter 4: El Fenix

**Chapter 4: ****El Fenix**

**Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and Bleach by Tite Kubo.**

* * *

Iris was still feeling the after-effects from her reconnection to her soul cutter when Snape forcefully grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the wandmakers store.

"I can walk you know..." Grumbled Iris under her breath.

"I realize this, but you have wasted enough of my time already, I have important potions to brew as well as make my report to the Headmaster." Snape growled, but he did not let go, not until they approached a corner of the alley with a wooden sign pointing towards it. "_Apparition Point: Diagon West_" it said.

"_Must have missed it when we first came, Apparition must be the method of travel Snape used." _Iris thought regarding the sign.

As soon as they reached the corner, Iris did not receive any warning before she was suddenly pulled through the same tube they had used to reach Diagon, only this time it deposited her back at Number 4. The sun had already set and she could see the lights where on in the kitchen.

"_The spells have obviously worn off" _Surmised Iris with some apprehension. She was not looking forward to being yelled at, nor spending time in the cupboard.

"Wait here, I shall have a word with your... Guardians." Snape said, contempt and sarcasm obvious in his tone.

Iris nodded and watched as Snape waved his wand over the door handle, which produced a pale blue light, the result of which being the door lock springing open with a sharp 'click!', Snape pushed the door open and strode inside, the door snapping shut behind him.

Iris wondered if Snape planned on torturing the Dursley's, his tone and stiff posture suggested he was planning something.

"_On one hand, they do deserve some misery in their lives, but they're still people..." _Iris argued with herself, unsure of her own feelings.

She knew what Ulquiorra would think, which is what he thought of all humans and beings he deemed beneath him; Trash.

But Iris also knew that she didn't think that way, and it was very confusing to her. She decided that she needed to mediate tonight to clear her thoughts, she needed to be ready for the challenges awaiting her, that much she and Ulquiorra could agree on.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Snape did not leave for a good forty minutes, just as Iris was about to walk inside to see what kind of mess she had to clean off the walls.

His face was grim, and half covered in shadow.

"I have explained to your Guardians the proper method of raising children." He paused.

"I've also left them with the distinct impression that if any harm should come to you, their hearts will explode."

"I hope that's just an impression." Iris replied with a little trepidation.

"It's best not to dwell on such minutiae." Snape said with a small smile.

Iris smiled back, glad to know that the dour man in front of her had a sense of humour.

"Now, the Hogwarts Express leaves on the First of September at Eleven in the Morning, here is your ticket." He fished out a large paper ticket embossed in fine gold leaf.

Taking the ticket Iris read what was written in an elegant script, her brows drawn in confusion.

"Sorry Sir but it says here Platform nine and three quarters, how do I find it?" She asked.

"The Platform his hidden inside the brick wall dividing platforms nine and ten, simply walk towards it at a brisk pace and you will move right through it." He instructed with patience, no doubt expecting the question.

Iris thanked him for the advice and with a nod, Snape vanished with a soft 'pop' in front of her.

"_Well... Here I go, once more into the Lion's Den." _Iris thought as she turned around and headed towards the front door, her luggage filled with all her supplies dragging along behind her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The house was as quiet as a tomb, no TV blaring the evening news, no microwave spinning, no oven roaring, not even Vernon's heavy breathing could be heard. Iris begun creeping towards the living room, but her luggage caught on the edge of a wall and made a loud _clang! _Iris winced.

"_No doubt they heard that._" she deduced.

Sure enough a shriek was heard and Aunt Petunia shuffled into view and Iris gasped when she saw her.

Her once pristine clothing was tattered and torn, her makeup smudged from heavy crying, her hair was frizzled and her eyes were bloodshot, Iris could also see that she was shaking slightly.

"Y..Yo...You H...h...Have a n...new ro...room now." Petunia managed to stutter, she was looking anywhere but at Iris.

"Up...Upstairs, Du...Dudley's spare Bedroom." She finished.

"Thank you." Iris whispered, unsure of what else to say, never had she seen her Aunt in such a state, it was unimaginable that her Aunt would allow herself to be seen in such a state.

"_Snape must have really done a number on her... But at what cost?_" Iris didn't want to know exactly what Snape did to them, but from the looks of things it was devastating.

Not wanting to stick around she begun dragging her luggage upstairs, in between the knocks of the luggage hitting the hardwood Iris's advanced hearing managed to pick up one word, muttered by Vernon over and over, in between heavy sobs, coming from the living room.

"Crucio, Crucio, Crucio, Crucio."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

After settling in, which included Iris unceremoniously dumping Dudley's toys into a small mountain by the corner to free up space, Iris snuggled in to her new bed and yet despite her overwhelming comfort she couldn't help but feel guilty, and with such heavy thoughts, she fell asleep.

The first inclination Iris had that she was dreaming was the sound of sand falling in heavy streams around her, so she opened her eyes and saw a marvellous sight.

She was back at Hueco Mundo, the waxing moon still looming in the starless sky, and yet where there was once a calm desert there now was a raging whirpool around her, violent swirling and churning currents of sand buffeted her skin, the gaping maw in the centre becking her to jump in, but Iris withhelt from such temptations not knowing where it would lead her.

"You are wise to not heed your temptations." Spoke a soothing feminine voice to her right, the volume dictating that the speaker was inches away from her.

Iris jumped out of instinct and landed several yards away in a defensive crouch, and regarded her dreamland intruder.

She was tall, at least 8 feet, towering over her with ease. She resembled a human in posture only, where there should be skin was instead mottled green feathers, roughly the size of a wakizashi short sword. Her feet and hands ended in talons, wicked looking and black as obsidian, on her back were great wings, which spanned several feet in each direction. Her mouth was a beak and her eyes glowed orange and held deep wisdom and age.

"Who are you?" Iris asked, her voice to her satisfaction was commanding and unafraid, yet she was terrified.

The creature laughed, a joyous cackle, reminding Iris of a bird's cawing and a snake's hiss.

"My my, such a silly question, though expected from one so young and foolish." The creature taunted with mirth, clicking her talons together, the sounds reverberating through the suddenly still desert.

_Click. Clack. Click._

Iris scowled, insulted.

"_She's in __**my **__mind, how dare she!" _Iris seethed.

_Click. Clack. Click._

"You ask of my identity, yet you already know, don't you? Search your feelings child and you will discover a satisfactory conclusion." The creature taunted.

_Click. Clack. Click._

Iris scowled, unsure of the answer yet she thought she knew, an inkling in the back of her mind, aware, pulsating yet not within her grasp. As her brain began it's furious investigation Iris could feel and smell a change in the air, the sands began to rise and fall as if some tiny child was picking up individual grains and dropping them. Ozone was thick in the air and thunder rumbled in the now cloudy sky.

Iris gasped, the answer was clear now, and yet confusing.

"You're my Soul Cutter!" She exclaimed.

_Click. Clack. Click._

"Very good! There is hope for you yet." the creature cooed as if talking to a toddler.

"But you look nothing like Murciélago, what have you done with him!" Iris demanded, rage clouding her mind.

"Him? I am him, or at least, the new him... Her, it matters not." the creature retorted.

_Click. Clack. Click._

"Do you not remember when you grasped me in the wandmakers shop, how my power flew through you? Do you not recognize our contract?!" She yelled suddenly, thunder accentuating her words, several feather fell off and burst into bright green flames when they touched the sand.

Iris flinched, not expecting the outburst.

As quickly as her rage came it just as quickly vanished, the creature flexed her wings.

"At least you realize now, that is good, I would hate to be stuck with a moron of a master."

_Click. Clack..._

The creature paused to sniff the air, her talons digging into the sand and making great trenches in their wake.

"It seems our time is up... For now, until we meet again child."

"But..." Iris began, her head teeming with questions, but she had no time for suddenly a great gale blew her off her feet and dragged her at great speeds away from the creature.

Iris awoke with a gasp, the early morning sun painfully hitting her face.

"_Yet more questions to answer." _She thought morosely, and then she remembered where she was.

"_But for now, I think I'll treat myself to a shower." _She reasoned smugly, the dream quickly forgotten in light of this revelation.

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**Shorter chapter this time since I didn't want to bloat it, the original draft was over 10k words but was boring as hell to read!**

**Next chapter will be longer as it will focus on Iris' time on the Hogwarts Express, which is also when the story will pick up!**

**I apologise for my lack of updates (It's getting old I know!) but unfortunately my muse just wasn't with me until recently, I promise that this fic WILL be finished, whether in a year or in ten, I plan on at least 40 chapters, spanning the entire book series and culminating in the Battle of Hogwarts, but with many twists and turns.**

**I do appreciate you all for reviewing and sticking around, it means a lot to me as a budding writer!**


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